Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
I'm an advanced intermediate and enjoy playing this lovely nocturne. After many months of hard work, I've managed to integrate the left hand triplets while sustaining a steady, hopefully almost clock-like rhythm in the right hand through the first two sections. I've heard some very good performances of this piece that use a liberal amount of rubato, but I prefer the renditions that stick to the timing as written...I've also worked my way through the rest of the piece with decent results I think.
My remaining problem is the octaves halfway through the second section. If you know the piece, you know the ones I'm talking about. One problem is I have very small hands for a guy. But I learned long ago not to use that as an excuse (as tempting as it sometimes is). I can tell the real problem is tension, which I work to overcome (it's a problem generally with me)..
Thought I'd check in and ask if anyone has some suggestions on playing octaves. I'm especially interested in anyone who's struggled with them like I have...
MAny advance thanks, PG (formerly known as cardguy)
I had some problems with octaves in scherzo 3. It was so bad that I hurt myself on two very separate occasions and so I have put that piece away. However, since my injuries, I have learned a great deal about my octave playing so I will try to help you out. I'm 18 and not a teacher so don't take what I say as gospel.
I find playing with no tension is a lot easier than people make it out to be. Just relax, literally. It's that easy. Incorporate your arm into the movements, and actually FOCUS on NOT tensing up. Remember that there is negative tension and positive tension. The good tension is what keeps your hand open and playing anything at all. The bad tension is when your hand is FLEXING. This is a no-no. Work on your octaves without flexing your hands. Start slow and gradually, and I mean GRADUALLY get faster, or you might slip into bad habits again and not even realize it.
I hope this helps. See this video if you need better advice.
(super important)